Photos: Hundreds of island keiki enjoy Earth Day activities at UH Hilo

Posted on April 22, 2025January 9, 2026 by Staff

The 37th Lā Honua Earth Day Celebration brought together keiki, college students and professors, with conservation and environmental organizations, agencies, and groups for fun educational activities.

Large group of students listening to instructor on mask making. A large colorful mural is in the background. — Keiki in a mask-making workshop at the Lā Honua Earth Day Celebration at UH Hilo on April 17, 2025. Below, the keiki parade through the library lānai with their creations. (Photos courtesy of the Lā Honua Earth Day planning committee/UH Hilo/HCC, click/tap for full size.)

Keiki parade through the lānai in their masks.

Keiki parade through the lānai in their masks, moving in single file.

By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College hosted K-12 keiki on campus last Thursday for the 37th Lā Honua Earth Day Celebration. The event brought together the local keiki, UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC college students and professors, with conservation and environmental organizations, agencies, and groups for fun educational activities about conservation and environmental work in Hawaiʻi.

The event was one of many hosted April 4 through today April 22 both on and off UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC campuses including Māla (Garden) Day for native species outplanting, mālama kai (caring for the sea) at Honokea fishpond, trips to both dryland forests and rainforests, career fairs, a workshop on the uses of native and canoe plants, and winding up the activities today with workshops related to māla and art with live music at Hawaiʻi CC.

Lā Honua Earth Day Planning Committee

Planning committee gathers on the library lānai. — Weeklong-plus Earth Day activities were coordinated by the Lā Honua Earth Day planning committee with students and faculty from UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College. (Photo courtesy of the Lā Honua Earth Day planning committee/UH Hilo/HCC)

The day’s activities were coordinated by the Lā Honua Earth Day planning committee with students and faculty from UH Hilo, including lead coordinator Diane Barrett (Education Professor) and members Carley Atkins (Hawaiian Studies student), Lisa Canale (Conservation Biology Instructor), Kerri Inglis (History Professor), Lillian Lewis (Biology student), Judy McDonald (Education Instructor), and Michelle Shuey (Geography and Environmental Sciences Instructor). Also on the committee was Drew Knapp (Geography Instructor, Hawaiʻi CC) and others.

Lā Honua Earth Day starts with kīpaepae

Thursday’s K-12 activities on the UH Hilo campus began with a kīpaepae in the Vulcan gym hosted by Pele Harman, UH Hilo’s director of Native Hawaiian engagement, and Malu Dudoit, a lecturer in Hawaiian studies and campus facilitator of Uluākea, an Indigenous-based program housed at the university’s Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center.

Schools represented in the kīpaepae were Hilo High School, Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo, Keaʻau Middle School, Kua O Ka Lā, and Pāhoa High School.

“We chanted Ua Ao Hawaiʻi along with those in the gym who knew the words to open up the space,” says Harman. “I danced Ke Welina mai nei ke kini o lalo, an old hula of welcome. Malu talked about the theme of this year’s Lā Honua: I ola ʻoe, i ola au (together we thrive) and then I taught the entire group a hula noho (sit down hula) to Ke Ao Nani (the beautiful world), a composition written by my great-grandmother Mary Kawena Pukui.”

Very large group of keiki in the gym, each raises their arms while they learn hula. The two instructors are at the head of the group. — Pele Harman and Malu Dudoit (standing at right) lead keiki in dance of welcome at the Lā Honua Earth Day Celebration kīpaepae (welcome ceremonies) at the Vulcan Gym, UH Hilo, April 17, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Lā Honua Earth Day planning committee/UH Hilo/HCC)

“I told them that in order for Hawaiʻi and the world to remain beautiful, we all have a kuleana (responsibility) to take care of this place,” Harman adds. “We ended by all dancing Ke Ao Nani together.”

The keiki then walked over to the Campus Center Plaza and Mookini Library lānai for interactive displays hosted by UH departments and programs and community groups, talk story with local conservationists and environmentalists, inspiring art activities and more.

More photos!

Photos are courtesy of the UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC Lā Honua Earth Day planning committee.

Large group of keiki walk over to library lānai. — Keiki traverse between the Campus Center Plaza (behind the photographer) and the Mookini Library lānai (ahead under the red roof) ready to engage in Lā Honua Earth Day activities.

Large group on lawn, seated on lauhala mat.

Hundreds of students on the library lānai.

Large group sits while listening to faculty.

Students reach out for activities at a table.

Student gather at table while listening.

Keiki learn about plants from a woman seated at a table display. — The power of inspiration was at work on Earth Day at UH Hilo.

Group of collge students ready for keiki.

Keiki in green shirts huddle together listening.

Keiki gather around a table to listen about the display.

A bright green table, students examine a specimen in a bottle.

University student talks to keiki about science display.

Two women talk to students at their tabling display.

Keiki observe plants on a table with a woman behind the table interacting with the children. — Interactive education about plants and animals is big on Earth Day at UH Hilo.

Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.

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